A central principle of SelfDesign’s approach to learning is that learning happens everywhere.

We have families who live in remote areas in British Columbia where attending a traditional brick-and-mortar school would mean commutes of several hours on windy mountain roads every weekday. By enrolling their children in our kindergarten to grade 12 program, SelfDesign Learning Community, their kids have the full support of a BC certified educator and full access to excellent and innovative learning resources, opportunities and support at home and in their own communities.

We have learners who learn while travelling with their families or who spend a few months each year outside of BC.

Wherever they’re learning, most of our learners and their families are BC residents and spend much of their time in the province.

We also have a few learners who live full time outside of BC. Out-of-province learners, including residents of the United States, can enrol in our kindergarten to grade 12 program through our partnership with Cognia – a non-profit, non-partisan organization that accredits schools around the world.

These learners are not enrolled through the BC Ministry of Education, nor are they working towards a BC graduation program or credentials.

Instead, they are enrolled with SelfDesign Learning Foundation to participate in a learning program that results in a SelfDesign diploma that is certified by Cognia and is based on BC standards. The learners can also receive transcripts for the SelfDesign courses they have completed.

And, unlike learners who are BC residents, out-of-province learners pay tuition.

Beyond that, SelfDesign Principal of Educational Programs Nikki Kenyon says, these global learners “have the same experience as any of our learners, with an educator, access to SelfDesign courses, themes and support services.”

As a resident of Wisconson, U.S., Ursa enrolled her daughter in SelfDesign in 2016.

“I was looking for a program that allowed students to have a customized education but with some degree of structure as well,” she says. “Traditional homeschooling wasn’t fitting for us.”

Because the family lives in a relatively rural area in the American Midwest, few opportunities were available to them at that time. Ursa heard about SelfDesign from some people who had experience with the Foundation and its programs.

“A huge plus for us has been the ability for the learners to look at the various educational topics through the lens of their interests, and having some flexibility in the classes that are taken,” she says.

“I love the way that SelfDesign has curated some of the amazing resources that are available online and created a curriculum from them. It’s always a treat when my daughter asks me to help her with something, and I get a peek into the cool resources!  It reminds me very much of how I approach learning myself as a life-long learner and feel it’s teaching such valuable skills to students!”

She says she has seen her daughter blossom through her SelfDesign learning journey.

“She has really grown in confidence and self-awareness through the SelfDesign experience she’s had these last four years and has been well-equipped with many life-long skills that go well beyond rote learning,” Ursa says. “I really appreciate the attention and effort that’s given for each learner to have an individualized learning experience.”

It has been such a positive experience for her daughter that Ursa says, “I’d love for our younger daughter to be involved with SelfDesign, too.”

Whether learners are connecting with SelfDesign from remote valleys in B.C.’s Interior, from the Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica or France, or from rural Wisconsin, they all show that learning does indeed happen everywhere.

Learn more about SelfDesign’s approach to learning: Our approach to learning.

If you live outside of BC and are interested in learning more about enrolling in SelfDesign as an out-of-province learner, please email info@selfdesign.org.